3 Simple Strategies to Saving Money as a #PlannerAddict + Helpful Resources

Having a planner addiction can be financially draining. I joined the planner community in September 2015 and while I absolutely loved how it sparked as a creative outlet while allowing me to pull my life together, I shortly learned how expensive the hobby really was. Looking through YouTube and Instagram, all I wanted was to have all the beautiful things everyone was sharing so that my planner could be beautiful too, but that was short lived because of how draining buying all the cute stickers, pens and washi became on my wallet--unless you are a muli-millionaire--because in that case, proceed, girl! Buy all that cute stuff!

If you are anything like me, you are constantly thinking about how you can continue this hobby without having to spend hundreds of dollars on washi tape, stickers, and stamps?

Well, today, I will be sharing 3 simple strategies to saving money as a #PlannerAddict.

While some of these may seem very straight forward, I know many of you--or at least I--didn't know of these options when you first started, which is why you probably spent a lot more money on this addiction than you originally intended to.

One of the best strategies I have found to saving money as a #PlannerAddict is to use printable stickers. There are plenty of places online to find free or really inexpensive printables that you get almost immediately! You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars at your local craft store or at order-and-ship Etsy stores to make your planner pretty (although, sometimes this can be a treat)! There are plenty of free printable resources you can visit and inexpensive printable etsy stores that supply beautiful stickers at really inexpensive costs.

Pinterest - There are plenty of free printables featured on Pinterest. If you simply search "Free Planner Sticker Printables" there is a list of hundreds of free printables other pinners have shared. All you have to do is follow the link, download, and print.

Free Printable Facebook Groups - I recently joined the "Happy Planner Free Printables To Share" group on Facebook and everyone in the group is amazing. Individuals make free printables, take requests, and share them for everyone to enjoy! There are literally pages upon pages of free printables and you get to join a community that enjoys the same hobby as you, can answer questions, and also takes the time to teach you how to make your own printables! I'd highly suggest joining the group if you're looking for a very welcoming group with amazing and hardworking designers and sticker makers! If you don't own a Happy Planner, I'm sure you could easily find a free printable group Facebook or Google+!

Printable Etsy Shops - There are plenty of these on Etsy. You simply type "Printable Planner Stickers" in the search bar and you have over 250 pages of listings for you to sift through.

One of my favorite shops for printable sticker kits is PlanEverything! Brittanie's sticker designs are absolutely adorable and they are really affordable. For $4.01 CAD, you get four sheets that really could be used over several spreads and you get them immediately! I've bought two kits from her shop, did a "no white space" spread for both weeks, and still had several stickers left over to re-use for future spreads. Brittanie is also super nice and features other planners' spreads on @PlanEverythingShop on IG if you tag the shop!

I also recently opened up an Etsy shop, as well specializing in hand drawn kawaii functional stickers. You can check it out at Dainty Rose Designs via Etsy! Unfortunately, when this post goes live, my Grand Opening Coupon Code will have expired, but if you use the code "BLOGFRIENDS10" you can receive 10% off $10 or more! If you ever forget, there is always a banner in the sidebar that has my most recent coupon code! Also check out my instagram, @DaintyRoseDesigns to find other coupon codes, updates, sneak peeks and giveaways!

Another great way to save money in the expensive planning world is to use coupons! As straight forward as this sounds, I think a lot of people ignore this or do not take the time to find coupons because they just want the cute supplies now. While getting cute things now is great, it is even better when you don't have that voice of regret at the back of your head nagging you for spending too much money on something you didn't necessarily need. In my mind, whether I need it or not, if its discounted, I'll eventually need it. Haha. There are several places you can find coupons.

Craft Store Apps - If you have a smart phone, Craft Store apps will be your new best friend. No searching is necessary. All you have to do is open the app on your way to the store, or even just in the check-out line, pick one out that applies to you, and BAM, discount for you! I primarily use the Michael's Craft Store app, but I know there are apps for Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's too.

Michae's App Available: Apple | Android

Etsy Coupons - One of the best way to save money with Etsy stores is to follow the store's instagram account! I cannot stress this enough. Usually, in the Bio section of the IG account, the store owner will share a coupon code for IG followers. It only takes a couple seconds to look the store IG up--usually the store's IG name is shared somewhere on the Etsy Shop page if they have one--and if you follow them, you will know of any flash sales, giveaways, and updates.

If neither of these options appeal to you, why don't you just make your own stickers? DIY is all the rage now-a-days and you have so many endless options!

Quick Fix - I know a lot of people who, as a quick fix, just use google images, add them into a word document, print them on copy-paper or sticker paper and BAM you have stickers for your planner. You can usually find sizing for your specific planner by googling "[Planner] Dimensions" to help you when making full boxes. This is a great option if you are just using the stickers for personal use. If you plan on selling stickers, later on, you could run into a lot of copyright issues.
PicMonkey - If you are a little more tech savvy, I'd suggest you try out PicMonkey.com. It is a free browser photo editing website. It comes with several overlays you can play around with to use as stickers or to create your own sticker designs. I actually used PicMoney to design my banners for this post! When you are finish designing, you can simply print the new stickers you made, cut them out, and you have your own stickers for your planner! There is also a paid account option that gives you more customization options.
Adobe Suite - If you are a little more advanced than that, I'd suggest Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. Note, these programs are not free. An Adobe license ranges, depending on what type of license you get. Nevertheless, I have been using Adobe InDesign for a couple of months now, and I feel like I probably save more money making my own stickers than buying them.

Let's Do The Math:

Most stores I buy from on Etsy usually cost me about $30 per kit (including shipping) to get to Canada. Lets say I buy 4 kits per month, to be able to decorate a full month.

$30 x 4 = $120

Now, this not including cute functional stickers. Let's say that costs another $30 to buy functional stickers and supplies (like washi, school stickers, blog stickers, youtube stickers etc.) and ship them to my house.

$120 + $30 = $150

$150 to buy enough stickers and supplies on Etsy to decorate a month.

On the other hand....

A Full Student License for Adobe Creative Cloud is $19.99 a month. I usually arrange my self-made stickers on 3 sheets of paper to save paper. A pack of 15 Avery Sticker Project Paper sheets is $12.99--so 1 pack should last me a little more than a month. Ink usually costs about $40.00 and can last me a month or more.

$19.99 + $12.99 + $40.00 = $72.98

$72.98 a month for enough DIY stickers to decorate a month.

I am saving almost $80 making my own stickers!

Isn't that crazy? I know $72 is still a lot, but I'm saving quite the amount in comparison to how much I used to spend on order-and-ship Etsy shops. Not that I have anything against order-and-ship Etsy shops because they are sure a treat to buy from every now and then--it just isn't that affordable, especially when shipping internationally costs a fortune! Making your own stickers can be time consuming, but the way I look at it, it is some "me" time to relax and enjoy a hobby I love!

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I hope you enjoyed these 3 simple strategies to saving money and consider using one or all of them! Let me know down below of some money saving strategies you use in the expensive planner world!